Fading of the Constellations
by Natasha N. Leigh
Summary: Senior year has finally arrived for Max Evans, Liz Parker and their friends while Max's sister, Isabel, is trying to navigate college. Their lives seem to have finally gone back to normal, until a girl wandering in the desert changes everything.
1. Fading of The Constellations: Intro

**Title: Fading of The Constellations**

**Author: Natasha Leigh  
**

**Rated T for language, mild violence and adult situations**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything within the Roswellian Universe but since it was canceled, I can write whatever I want.**

**Summary: Senior year has finally arrived for Max Evans, Liz Parker and their friends while Max's sister, Isabel, is trying to navigate college. All of their lives seem to have finally gone back to normal, until a girl wandering in the desert changes everything.**

* * *

**Introduction**

* * *

Welcome to _Roswell_, the way that I see it. There are some notable changes as you read this fic and any subsequent fics that I'll write after this one.

_Fading of the Constellations_ is the start of the alternate season three of the show and what makes this an alternate universe fanfic is that a lot of things have changed after the season two episode, _Heart of Mine_, where Max kissed Tess and Isabel kissed Alex at the prom.

In this alternate universe, Alex was in a car accident but he's still alive. He was hospitalized and Isabel went to San Francisco for college, which put their relationship on hold. Tess and Max never slept together. They shared a kiss and grew closer, but they didn't sleep together and she didn't get pregnant. So, Tess and Alex are still very much in Roswell. Meanwhile, Sheriff Valenti is still the sheriff of Roswell. There may have been a couple of scares and he was suspended, but he kept his job because _Roswell_ is not _Roswell_ without Sheriff Valenti.

Brody still owns the UFO Center and Max still works there. Brody's also connected to Larek and still think that he's being abducted. Michael is doing better in school, but he doesn't work at the Crashdown anymore and he's broke. Max and Liz are together again but it's on shaky ground because Liz is still worried about Tess and Max doesn't know that Liz and Kyle didn't sleep together. Jesse is also not in this story. I liked Jesse, but I don't need him in this story.

There will be a lot of flashbacks in this story, to catch everyone up on what happened between Prom and now, as well as memories from Max and the Pod Squad. Kivar may appear in some of the flashbacks, but he's also on his way.

I am introducing three new characters into the Roswell Universe. The first one you meet, Ashley, is an alien who will stir up old feelings for the Czechoslovakians. No one knows where she's from and how she got to Roswell, but she is one of the good guys. Ashley also has more than one ability, but I don't get into all of them right away.

One of the other new characters will push Max and Liz's relationship to the breaking point and possibly beyond it. The final new character is going to be a woman who doesn't agree with the alien/human relationships.

Relationship dynamics will begin to alter because the three new characters will eventually become important members of the group. A couple of the new characters have been sent to Earth from another time, but the explanations will come gradually.

Another big change to this story is that it takes place in present day, 2014. There will be some definite references as to more present day things such as Rihanna, _Glee_, iPhones, iPads, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber. I'm doing this simply because _Roswell_ ended so long ago and I think it would really great to bring it into the present. I mean, who wouldn't be interested to know what Maria thinks about Miley?

Speaking of Maria, her Jetta is still a very important part of the story, as is the Jeep. They're like the Impala on _Supernatural_; not having them around would be a little odd. I thought it was strange that the Jetta and Max's Jeep wasn't prominent in the real season three of _Roswell_. Also expect to see the return of Liz's journal. I actually liked that aspect of the first season of the show and I liked that it returned towards the end of the show, but I also thought it should be a part of Liz, like it was when she first fell in love with Max.

In conclusion, I hope you all enjoy my version of the third season of _Roswell_. I hope not to disappoint you all and I also hope that this story (and any future stories) doesn't run away from me and lose its focus.

With love,

Natasha

P.S: In response to a reader's question about Liz's powers that appeared in the actual Season 3, Liz has developed powers. As Ava told her in Season 2, she's been changed by Max. However, I don't know when the appearance of Liz's powers will be in my version. They may not be as prominent as they were in Season 3, before she went to boarding school. I don't know what my plans are concerning Liz's powers at this point.


	2. Fading of The Constellations: Prologue

**Title: Fading of The Constellations  
**

**Author: Natasha Leigh  
**

**Rated T for language, mild violence and adult situations**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything within the Roswellian Universe but since it was canceled, I can write whatever I want.  
**

**Summary: Senior year has finally arrived for Max Evans, Liz Parker and their friends while Max's sister, Isabel, is trying to navigate college. All of their lives seem to have finally gone back to normal, until a girl wandering in the desert changes everything.**

* * *

**The Diary and the Wandering Girl**

* * *

**August 31st...**

It seems like forever since I've written in this journal. There had been so much going on last year that it felt like I'd completely abandoned writing altogether. Some things changed for the worse and some things changed for the better.

I can't say that I'm happy that Tess is still in Roswell, especially since her destiny with Max still hangs over my head like a thundercloud. It does seem, however, that she and Max have lost interest in one another. I am glad to know that, but things still need to be resolved between me and him. For instance, he still needs to explain why he and Tess kissed in the first place.

Maybe I shouldn't complain too much about that. He still thinks I slept with Kyle, and I guess they were doing what Future Max advised for me to get them to do. Still, Max is my soul mate, and I'm happy that they haven't gone any further than a kiss.

In a few days, I'll be starting my senior year. I used to think this day would never arrive, especially when the FBI and their special unit wanted to kill Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess. Now, it's here and I feel like I can actually look forward to a normal future. It would be even better if I can have a normal future with Max.

Look at me! All I do is talk about Max, think about Max and dream about Max. I love him so much and yet, it feels like we have to start from step one all over again. He's changed. I've changed. Everything's changed, so we have to build from there.

I wonder what Ashley's presence now means for all of us. She's been here for almost a month and she's adapting pretty well, but I hope she'll be able to adapt to going to school. Ashley's alone, with no parents and nothing to prove she's even who we're saying she is. I don't want anyone to get suspicious of her presence. I don't think any of us want anyone to get suspicious of her presence, but I also don't think that anyone has fully thought her existence in Roswell through fully. She needs credentials. Where did she last go to school? Where did she live before she arrived? Where are her parents? She's not a child. She has to be, at least, 16 or 17 years old. I keep thinking logically about this, but I should just really be confident that everything will be fine.

Everything that's happening with me and Max and everyone right now, it's calm. It's normal, as normal as it can be for aliens and the humans that know that aliens exist and are living on Earth. Still, I wonder what's next. I mean, there's Senior Year and Ashley, but what else is there that we're going to have to deal with this year? Is this the calm before the storm?

~ Liz

* * *

**_July 28th, 2010…_**

I never want to see this place again_,_ _Tess Harding thought to herself as she drove her Volkswagen Beetle to the pod chamber with Michael Guerin in the passenger seat. After Ed Harding, her adoptive father who was really her protector named Nasedo died; she made herself very scarce when Max Evans and Michael went to check on the Granilith. On top of that, she had just gotten closer to Michael, who had decided to come with her so they could put their Destiny book away for as long as possible. The only problem with that was that all of the aliens seemed to have banded together once Isabel Evans left for San Francisco. Tess wasn't used to the closeness that the people who once wanted her gone was now giving her. There were times when she still wished she was on the run with Nasedo, but she wasn't and now she had a new reality to deal with, one that include a mate that didn't want her in a place she didn't want to be in, and a group she didn't want to be a part of._

_Pohlman Ranch felt like the longest stretch of desert. Just endless miles of sand made Tess feel even lonelier. She could remember waking up and leaving her pod alone, with nobody but a man standing there; Nasedo. He didn't look like Ed Harding when he stood there. He looked closer to Agent Pierce, but his bone structure was a little stronger and his hair was darker. She would never forget the trench coat he was wearing, the one he covered her in as he took her out of the pod chamber and into the world._

_Tears welled up in her eyes but she continued to drive, until she halted to a stop after almost hitting a girl with her car. Shock filled Tess and she could vaguely hear Michael exclaim, "What the hell?" from the fog of her own guilt, fear and complete, overwhelming surprise. The girl seemed to have come out of nowhere, or Tess was just that deep into her thoughts._

_When Tess and Michael looked at the girl, they noticed two things. The first thing was that she was completely naked. The second thing was that the headlights made it look like her eyes were pink. The girl looked at them and then turned back around. She continued to walk to wherever she was headed._

_Michael was the first one to get out of the car but Tess remained, trying to calm the shaken feeling she felt. She could hear Michael screaming out to the girl as she continued to walk and then, she decided to get out of the car and assist Michael with trying to get the girl's attention. She ran up to the much taller Michael and both of them screamed hey. Still, the girl, who was petite like Tess with her red hair plastered to her head and down her back, kept walking until she collapsed to the ground._

_Tess ran up to the girl and found that the girl was struggling to breath. The girl writhed with pain and whimpered, as if it was the only way for her to communicate. Tess didn't know what to do and with Michael standing by her side, she knew she had to do something pretty fast. So, Tess decided to mind-warp the poor girl into thinking that she was in the hospital. In the mind warp, Tess was the girl's nurse and Michael was the girl's doctor. There was just one problem, though. It didn't work. The girl managed to calm down, but it was almost as if she had absorbed Tess's mind warp. Then, Tess gasped as she imagined being in the hospital, with Michael as her doctor and the girl as her nurse._

_Once the illusion was over, Tess realized that she had lost time and that Michael had now covered up the girl with his jacket. He was now carrying her back to the car and Tess had been following along the entire time. Tess and Michael safely maneuvered the girl into the back seat and got back into the car. Tess immediately turned the car around and started to drive towards her house as Michael tried to ask the girl questions. From the rearview mirror, Tess could see that the girl looked completely confused. Michael turned back around in his seat, frustrated, and looked at Tess, "She's not going to talk. What are we going to do with her?"_

_Tess thought about it and at first, she would've said to call Max. However, she was trying to live her life without him, since he wanted to live his life without her. She sighed and as the queen she used to be, she looked at Michael and said, "We should bring her to my house and call everyone once we get there. Maybe she'll start talking then."_

_Both Tess and Michael fell silent. Then, out of the blue, both of them could hear whispering. It was so silent at first, they both thought they were imagining it, until they looked in the backseat and found the girl whispering to herself, her light pink eyes deep in thought. The girl kept whispering the same thing over and over again and when Tess leaned in to listen, she finally discovered what the words were._

Zan, Ava, Rath, Vilandra…Kivar…


	3. Chapter 1: Middle Ground

**Title: Fading of The Constellations  
**

**Author: Natasha Leigh  
**

**Rated T for language, mild violence and adult situations**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything within the Roswellian Universe but since it was canceled, I can write whatever I want.  
**

**Summary: Senior year has finally arrived for Max Evans, Liz Parker and their friends while Max's sister, Isabel, is trying to navigate college. All of their lives seem to have finally gone back to normal, until a girl wandering in the desert changes everything.**

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry in advance for _finally_ posting the first chapter. Please be prepared for this story to be long for interludes, flashbacks, etc. Thank you all for the reviews. I'm trying not to make Ashley a Mary Sue, but her part in this story is very important. She will also not be paired up with Max or Michael, so no worries there.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Middle Ground**

* * *

**September 1st...**

Liz walked into the dining area of the Crashdown Café and before she started work for the day, she immediately walked towards Max Evans, who was sitting alone in a booth near the door. She and Max had been taking it slow since the end of spring, but Liz was quite ready to go back to the way they were. However, there was one little obstacle to that, and that obstacle was Tess and the kiss during prom. Liz knew she had no right to say anything about Max kissing Tess, especially since it had been months since it had happened and Tess had finally given up on Max, but she didn't want it to happen again.

When Liz sat down across from Max, she was unable to say anything to him because Michael and Tess walked in along with Isabel and Alex Whitman. Behind Alex, Ashley walked in. Ashley was a petite redhead with purple eyes that could be perceived as pink in some lights. She was quiet and Liz almost didn't realize she was standing there until she saw the pink floral sundress that matched her eyes and her long hair in pigtails.

Max looked up at Michael and Isabel, and Liz made her way out of the booth as everyone squeezed their way in while Tess said, "We didn't mean to barge in on you two like this. If you two were…"

"We have to figure out how to get Ashley into school," Michael interjected.

Isabel frowned at her younger brother. "Michael's right. You guys start school in two days and people are going to wonder who her parents are, where she went to school before this. Max, you said you'd deal with it."

Max glanced at Liz, who was standing next to Ashley, and sighed. After Ashley's arrival, everyone had become rather off-kilter and immediately made Max live up to his role as the king, even though they were on Earth. "I've been thinking about it and I really don't know what to do," he said in resignation. Then, he glanced at Tess. "How was Nasedo able to get all of your credentials? Did he do anything special for you?"

Liz internally groaned at Max's newfound dependency on Tess and headed off to start her shift, though it didn't go unnoticed by Ashley and Tess. Tess, however, decided to concentrate on the subject at hand and replied, "He didn't do anything special. He basically did the same thing your parents did for you and Isabel."

Alex shook his head. "What about Sheriff Valenti? He may be able to vouch for her."

"Yeah, but that won't explain when he adopted her and where she was before that," Isabel replied, nervously grabbing Alex's hand yet leaning closer to Michael.

Ashley's sigh broke the uncomfortable silence and everyone looked towards her as she dug through her bag. When she found what she was looking for, she took a manila folder out of her bag and sat it down in front of everyone. "I took care of everything myself."

Alex pulled the folder closer to him and opened it up, looking at the transcripts, foster care records and police records that Ashley had put in front of them. All of them looked perfectly viable. Max, Isabel, Michael and Tess looked at them as well, and Max whispered, "How?"

"Went to the school myself," Ashley softly explained, "I showed them what I made up and they thought it was completely fine. Everyone believes what you all wanted them to believe. So, nobody needs to worry about anything. Everything will be fine."

Isabel scooted past Alex and stood up, touching Ashley's hand. "I know you're able to catch on to things very quickly, but you have to take it easy. We don't want you to burn out."

Ashley was very aware of what happened when she felt burnt out. She would go into herself, internalize everything she felt and could only be calmed with the sound of a blender or food processor, which was one of the first sounds she heard when she was brought to Liz's house for the first time and had one of her first burn-outs. The sound reminded her of home, the constant sirens at home where she was safe though it wasn't supposed to be safe for her.

She took her hand out of Isabel's and smiled tightly. "I didn't burn out. In fact, I did pretty well. I'm starving though, so can we order something?"

Max decided that this was the perfect time to speak to Liz, who had yet to come out of the back room. He moved out of his seat past Tess and said, "Ashley, you can sit here. I'm going to go talk to Liz."

He rushed to the back and Tess felt a pang of heartache as she moved aside for Ashley to sit down. When she put her focus back on Isabel, Michael, Alex and Ashley, she sighed and picked up a menu. Everyone else looked at each other and Ashley fought the urge to touch Tess's shoulder, but she didn't want to take the risk of feeling all of Tess's thoughts. So, she picked up her own menu and began to look for something she could tolerate eating. When a waitress approached the table, everyone placed an order and Ashley ordered a slice of the Blueberry Moon pie. As the waitress walked away, Michael looked at Tess and put his hand on hers. "Are you alright?"

Tess nodded with a smile and took her Pepsi once the waitress brought the drinks to the table. Michael and Isabel both put Tabasco sauce in their Sprites and Alex drank his orange soda in silence, analyzing how in sync Isabel seemed to be with Michael. Ashley looked at her glass of milk and thought about the time she had drank it back on Antar after an expedition to Earth had brought along the creamy beverage. Her betrothed had told her all about it and both of them were curious about tasting it. She hadn't been fond of it, but he had told her that she had to drink it for strong bones. When she took a sip of the milk in the glass in front of her, it felt like liquid ice sliding inside her body. She closed her eyes and refrained from coughing and dry heaving, but it was definitely more shocking than it had been when she had first drank it.

Everyone looked at her with concern and she didn't want to alert anyone from her bad choice, so she smiled and said, "Everything's fine."

Michael, Isabel, Alex and Tess blinked and then went back to what they were talking about until their food finally arrived. As she ate her pie, Ashley started to feel guilty for using her powers on them, but she was tired of them worrying about her. She would adjust well enough on Earth, as long as she didn't have to use all of her powers and as long as she knew she was safe.

* * *

"…All I'm saying is that you don't have to consult Tess on everything alien-related. You, Michael and Isabel were doing just fine before she arrived," Liz said, propped against the pillows on her bed. Max was sitting at the foot of her bed and giving her a foot massage.

"Liz, Tess is one of us, whether you and I like it or not. We're stronger with her than without. I thought she proved herself the many times she helped to save us, like when Nicholas made everyone disappear last year."

"I know, I know. You don't have to remind me of all the good things Tess has done, Max. I know she's trying to make up for everything she's done, but she still…I still have issues with her. I mean, the two of you were close once, _really_ close."

"You mean the kiss?" Max replied as he let Liz's feet go. "Liz, that was months ago, and Tess and I have gotten past that. We're just friends now, nothing more."

"I want to believe that but things are changing for all of you guys, especially since Ashley came into the picture. I mean, I notice how you've been going to her more for help and it's like the two of you are such this match, this king and queen."

Max was tired of the song and dance Liz had been putting him through, especially because she hadn't necessarily been faithful, but he sighed and said nothing. He cast his powers out to the restaurant, a new ability he had gained in the last month, and felt Ashley's reserve starting to wane. He considered going back down to the restaurant area and taking her home, but he trusted that Isabel, Tess or Michael would take care of her if she became completely depleted. He moved closer towards Liz and lied down next to her on the bed. It felt nice to just be with her and to just have silence instead of Michael and Isabel constantly calling him or asking him what to do. Lying on the bed with her just felt…right.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, listening to Liz's breathing. He didn't fall asleep, but his body went into a sleep like state. In that state, he was able to remember some of his past on Antar. The particular moment he remembered was when he and Tess, or Ava, in that life, had went on their first date. There were fireworks that night, and he could remember how much he wanted to kiss her. Liz threaded her fingers in his, and Max remembered it as him holding Ava's hand. When Ava looked at him, he opened his eyes and forced himself to remember that he was on Earth and in Liz's bedroom. He had to remember that he loved her, not Tess. Liz smiled when she looked at him and she leaned in to kiss him, but he worried that she would see what he was just thinking about so he turned his head and whispered, "I have to get back downstairs. I think Isabel's calling me."

He hurried off of the bed before Liz could try to keep him there and rushed back down to the restaurant. Liz sighed in frustration and plopped back against her pillows, though her bed felt a lot colder without Max next to her.

When Max came back to the booth, only Tess was left and she didn't look happy to see him. He reluctantly sat down across from her and she said, "Isabel wanted to take Ashley shopping for school, so Michael and Alex went to go see some splatter film. I'm just waiting for Kyle to show up, so I'll be gone soon."

"I wasn't expecting you to leave, Tess," Max replied calmly. "I'll just sit here with you for a little while."

"I'm sure Liz won't like that. She doesn't seem to like a lot of what's going on lately," Tess clipped.

"Tess, can we not do this? Look, I know this is hard for you to see me back with Liz and everything, and I'm sorry about that. There's nothing we can do to change that, and I think everyone's a little off about Ashley. We still don't know much about her, and I think Liz is wondering if we can trust her."

Tess slammed her cup of soda down. "Who is Liz to wonder whether or not _we_ can trust Ashley? Last time I checked, she didn't come out of a pod. We all made sure that Ashley was one of us, and she is. If that's not good enough for Liz, then that's just too bad."

Max was going to try to calm Tess down, but they both saw Kyle approaching the door to the Crashdown and Tess left the booth before Max could talk to her. He picked up her glass, to give to any available waitress, and the memory returned. He was holding Ava's hand, but he seemed annoyed about something. He didn't understand what it was until he felt someone tugging at his shirt. Ava smiled past him and he looked down at what was tugging at his shirt. It was a little boy with curly light brown hair and blue eyes. Max didn't immediately remember the little boy and wondered if the boy was Ava's brother, but the vision ended before the knowledge could come to Max. He let go of the cup and tried to let the frustration ease as it felt like bile in his throat. The waitress approached his table and asked if he needed something, but he handed her the glass and replied, "I'm just leaving. Thanks."

After the waitress took the glass and walked away, Max got up and walked out of the Crashdown, just as Liz had started her shift and was heading his way. The door closed behind him and Liz rolled her eyes. Though things had calmed, it felt like everything had become more chaotic for her.


	4. Chapter 2: Faded Memories

**Title: Fading of The Constellations**

**Author: Natasha Leigh**

**Rated T for language, mild violence and adult situations**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything within the Roswellian Universe but since it was canceled, I can write whatever I want.**

**Summary: Senior year has finally arrived for Max Evans, Liz Parker and their friends while Max's sister, Isabel, is trying to navigate college. All of their lives seem to have finally gone back to normal, until a girl wandering in the desert changes everything.**

**Author's Note: This chapter is still full of drama, and it may be a bit boring, but I'm still trying to settle some stuff out concerning characters and their appearances. So, bear with me. In other news, you'll notice a lot about Ashley's beloved and a little boy. They're one in the same, but you'll all learn about him later. I'm also going to play a little with Max's memories, as well as the memories of Isabel, Michael and Ashley, because they all have something in their past that they're not proud of. Enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Faded Memories **

* * *

**_July 28…_**

_Everything seemed bright as the two strangers pushed her into the house. She tried to cover her eyes, but she was wrapped up in harsh, scratchy fabric. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, but it didn't suffice so she let out a whimper and the man put weird goggle type things on her face that made the light dim. She'd been calling out for her brother for some time when the small girl started moving the large metallic machine, but she was pretty sure that they didn't know who she was talking about. Still, they kept looking at each other and speaking in a weird language she'd never heard before._

_They sat her down on a couch and the fabric felt itchy against her skin. She bent down to scratch her calf and felt the electric shocks course through her body. She had never experienced this before, but she'd heard a lot about it from her fiancé. Her powers were returning to her, but it hurt and everything was bright and cold and she just wanted to go home. She was going to be Queen. She shouldn't have been subjected to harsh fabrics or fabrics that made her itch. _

_She watched as the girl kept talking to the man. The word "stop" kept coming out of her mouth, but she was disinterested in what they had to say. She couldn't understand it anyway. She wondered what had happened. She was celebrating her 17__th__ name day and she fainted. Then, she woke up on the cold ground next to the Granilith. She had heard of what happened to the Royal Four when she got older, so she could only assume that she suffered the same fate as them and was shuttled to Earth. The thought made her sad. She still had so much to do. She had to help remove Kivar from the throne. She still had to get married. She needed to go home. _

_When she stood up, her legs nearly buckled and the tall, strong man grabbed her. He began to speak to her. Angry words came out of his mouth and she didn't know he was asking her questions like who she was and where she came from. All she knew was that he looked angry and she struggled away from him. She managed to get away, but she fell and bumped her head on a couch cushion. She wrapped the harsh blanket closer to her naked body and the man advanced on her again. She was afraid she was going to die, so she said the only human word she'd been taught: No._

_She said it again and again until she was near screaming it. Suddenly, the small girl wrapped her arms around her and she had a vision of the Royal Four when they were alive and back home. It wasn't a trick, like the girl had tried to do earlier, and she realized that she was being held by someone just like her. That helped to calm her down. Still, she moved closer to the couch when the tall man advanced on her. _

_Thirty minutes later, Max and Isabel arrived, and Max was able to get through to her the best way he knew how. That was how they found out she was from Antar and that was how they found out her name, Zaia._

* * *

"…Ashley? Ashley, wake up! Ashley, wake up, honey."

Ashley opened her eyes and found Isabel standing over her, concern all over her face. She sat up on the couch and wiped her face clean, though she had no idea why her cheeks were so wet. "What's wrong, Isabel? Why did you wake me up?"

"You don't remember?" Isabel inquired, "You were crying in your sleep."

Ashley immediately became guarded. "It really wasn't anything. I was just dreaming about –"

"You were just dreaming about a guy from your past, from home?

Ashley's mouth parted. She wanted to tell Isabel everything but instead, she just nodded. "How do you…?"

Isabel smiled ruefully. "I know all too well. When I was in California, all I could dream about was…"

"All you could dream about was Kivar?"

"Yeah," Isabel replied. "I could remember what it was like to be with him. I was so happy but when I woke up, all I could think about was how it all ended."

"With him killing you, Max, Michael and Tess, and then taking over the throne, right? Everyone hates him there. He's a good man, but an awful king. He doesn't have what it takes but overall, I think he knows he made a mistake killing you."

"He betrayed me. He killed my brothers and took over Max's throne. I would never be able to forgive myself if I had lived."

"If you'd lived, all of you would've still been able to take care of me and…"

Isabel frowned. "Who, Ashley? The guy from your past?"

Ashley's gaze hardened. "What does it matter, Isabel? It's all in the past now. Time goes by so much faster there than it does here. I was six when you all died. Irin was seven. We became closer after Kivar took the throne. It became Irin's goal, to return the throne back to the way it was before Kivar invaded. He took all of your deaths hard, and he held on to me even tighter than he might have, had the circumstances been different."

"Did he love you? Irin, I mean?"

Ashley nodded with sadness in her eyes. Some of her memories were beginning to fade the longer she was on Earth, and she didn't want to forget her beloved. However, it was beginning to look like she didn't have a choice. "We grew up together, Isabel. We loved each other so much, but things happened and now I'm here."

Isabel ran her fingers through Ashley's hair and the both of them sat in their own sadness until Tess, Maria and Liz came into the living room with popcorn and movies. Ashley frowned and Maria smiled widely. "Guess who's having a girls' night?"

Ashley shook her head. "I don't really feel like doing one tonight."

"I'm not taking no for an answer, Ashley. This is your first girls' night and tomorrow's the first day of school. We have to celebrate your first day of school ever!"

Maria's bubbly spirit was sometimes grating on Ashley, but sometimes Maria was the spirit she needed. So, she slumped down on the floor next to Liz and Maria, and smiled as Maria popped in the movie, "Easy A."

Halfway through the movie, Liz's phone vibrated and she picked it up. She had gotten a text from Max, asking her to meet him at the Crashdown. She really didn't want to leave, but she had barely spent any time with Max during the summer. She closed her phone and Tess concentrated on the movie a little harder than she should have. Maria rolled her eyes and before Liz could ask if she could take a rain check on the Girls' Night, Maria said, "Go ahead. Have fun with Max."

Liz smiled and rushed out of the living room, grabbing her coat. Ashley smiled and continued to watch the movie, but she could feel how sad Tess was about Liz's happiness. Then, she could imagine how she would feel if Kri was in love with someone else. She turned to look at Tess and though Tess smiled at her, Ashley could see the tears in Tess's eyes.

* * *

Liz opened the door to her room and found Max standing on her roof top. She smiled wickedly and climbed through her window to get to him. He grabbed her hand and helped her and then they fell into a passionate kiss that Liz hadn't gotten from Max in months. She didn't have a flash like she used to, but she could feel the passion in him. She could tell that he wanted her and not Tess.

When they parted from the kiss, Liz smiled and said, "What are you doing here? I was supposed to spend the night with the girls at Tess's house."

"Did you really want to spend time with Tess?" Max inquired with his eyebrow raised.

Liz thought about it and pouted playfully. "Okay, you have a point. Still, tomorrow's Ashley's first day of school and I wanted to relax with her and Maria and Isabel. Tess is the only one with no adults watching her and a big house to accommodate us. I think I could've tolerated her for one night."

"I didn't want you to have to tolerate her, Liz. I know you're having a hard time getting used to her and what's going on with Ashley as well, so I thought that maybe you could spend the night with me. I'll be good. I promise."

_I don't want you to be good_, Liz thought to herself as so many images ran through her mind of the things she and Max could do while her parents weren't home. She grabbed him and kissed him firmly, hoping to awaken the feelings he had for her before Tess ever showed up in Roswell. Max kissed back just as fiercely, and Liz plucked at Max's jacket. After holding back for months, Liz was ready to take her relationship to the next level with Max. She knew he was meant to be with her and she didn't want to hold anything else back.

They parted from the kiss long enough to make their way into Liz's room. Liz locked the door and went back to kissing Max. They fell to the bed and started peeling each other's clothes off. All Liz could think was _yes_ and she didn't want to stop. She never wanted to stop. She wanted to see what Maria had been talking about when she said that she'd lost her virginity to Michael. She moaned passionately and rubbed her body against Max's to emphasize exactly what was going to happen.

Suddenly, Max had a flash of flipping a coin while sitting on his throne. It was the last thing on his mind, but the memory seemed to be fighting its way to come out. He sat upon the throne with a sardonic smile on his face while the king of another planet stood in front of him. Next to him, Ava was frowning in embarrassment and shame; for herself, for the king and for her husband. When Max caught the coin, he looked at the man and tilted his head. Apparently, the king lost. Max had won and sitting near the foot of his wife's throne, there were two children: a girl with wild red hair and a boy with curly dark brown hair. Both of them were watching everything that was happening. The little girl didn't understand what was going on, but the boy did and he was frowning exactly the same way that Tess was frowning.

When the memory was over, Max was lying against the pillows, shock and shame written all over his face. Liz looked down at him and called his name, but he didn't hear her right away. When he did hear her and the fog began to clear, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose while he said, "Who was I, Ava? What kind of man was I?"

All of Liz's hopes for the night faded as soon as she heard the name of Tess's old self. Even though she was worried about Max and she wanted to know what had happened, Liz couldn't help but shrink away from him. She hated how he wanted her to get away from Tess but always found a way to bring her up on his own terms.

Max finally realized where he was but by then, Liz had put most of her clothes on and she was sitting at the corner of the bed. He was going to apologize, but he knew that Liz didn't want to hear it, not after he'd revealed that he'd had a memory of Tess and he'd wanted Tess in that moment to council him. Instead, he began to put his clothes back on and he headed to the door of her room, getting ready to leave.

The door open, Max turned around, hoping that Liz would change her mind and ask him to stay so they could finish what they had started. However, Liz didn't say anything. So, Max walked out and headed to wherever he was going to head for the rest of the night. Liz remained frozen in her place for about ten minutes before collapsing on her bed in tears.


	5. A message from me

Dear Reader:

It's come to my attention that this little fanfic of mine is being read. I can't believe it, but I am so eternally grateful. I must say, though, that changes are coming.

I haven't updated this story in about 2-3 years and so much has happened in that time that I feel like the story needs to be brought to the here and now. Also, I feel like I am a much better writer now than I was then and wish to bring some fresher writing to the story. The premise will remain the same, but there are a few things about the story I would like to rejuvenate.

I will be back soon, but don't be surprised if these first chapters change in the meantime. I promise to keep the story lively. Again, thank you for your patience and for reading.

N.


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